chös khor marpa house news ling Winter 2011/2012 BUDDHIST MEDITATION AND RETREAT CENTRE Summer 2017 A Time of Great Gifts... From The Trustees • From The Committee John Howard’s Four Foundations Course • Easter Teachings • Karmapa in Battersea Preparation for the Empowerment • The Vajrakilaya Empowerment Precious Marpa Life • Poems from the Sangha Trustee News chös t has been an incredible Ilast 6 months, the busiest I’ve known for a long while, khor so it’s hard to know where to begin! At the end of 2016, ling following Rinpoche’s announcements during BUDDHIST his Birthday celebrations, we started planning for a MEDITATION AND new shrine and a stupa. RETREAT CENTRE Rinpoche’s wish was that an empowerment shrine should also be ready for the visit of HH Sakya Trizin in June. So it is with thanks to Stevan, our wonderfully skilled carpenter, and a handful of others who participated in its painting, that the empowerment shrine was present, in full glory, for the Vajrakilaya Empowerment in June. This shrine is an offering to Rinpoche, and we hope we won’t have to wait too long before he uses it for the empowerments he said he will give in the coming year! The design for the main shrine has been finalised, oak has been purchased, and Stevan has now started working on it. It will replace the existing shrine, and at the same time the shrine room will have a refurbishment. I have to say from knowing Stevan’s Marpa House craftmanship, it is going to be very beautiful. Chös Khor Ling The stupa has also been quietly progressing in the Rectory Lane background. We have been guided by Rinpoche as to Ashdon the type of stupa - ‘Descending from Tushita Heaven’. Saffron Walden Plans drawn up by a local architect are being finalised, Essex CB10 2HN and we will soon apply for planning permission. We t: 01799 584415 will also invite a ‘Lopon’ from Shechen monastery, who will reside at Marpa House for a year, to oversee the e: [email protected] rituals and building of the stupa. All very exciting! w: www.marpahouse.org.uk If you have something you would The last 6 months has also seen a full calendar of like to go in the Newsletter please events, including a silent retreat, Tibetan calligraphy, a contact Janet Scott young sangha weekend, and Losar, with Lama Alasdair leading 3 days of Mahakala pujas. e: [email protected] Registered Charity No 1090628 Rinpoche’s teaching weekend over Easter was one of the busiest yet. With many sangha joining us from Europe, it was like a mini Summer School! Rinpoche’s teaching was clear and profound; we were whilst also participating, is a feeling I struggle all truly blessed. The weekend ended with to find words for. It was an honour to host a mandala, body, speech and mind offering HH Sakya Trizin, whose presence created to Rinpoche. He had said that we need to such a joyful and spacious weekend. We practice for the high Lamas, which is very hope that it won’t be long before HH Sakya true, we definitely need to practice! But this Trizin returns to Marpa House. offering was for our ‘high Lama’ - a chance to offer our gratitude, respect and devotion in On a more practical note, the Trustees recognition for all that Rinpoche has given us have had a few changes. Roger has been over the years. enjoying his sabbatical, which will continue until November. Ben Henriques, who We were also blessed to have HH Karmapa was acting chair for a couple of months, visit the UK for the first time, and give resigned as a Trustee to spend more time wonderfully clear and insightful teachings with his family, following the birth of his in London and Aldershot. It was like a big son. Congratulations! We thank Ben for his extension of Marpa House with so many dedication over the last few years. We wish familiar faces present! them all the very best. We express our thanks to Rinpoche for the In January, I began as Trustee Chair and will group audience with HH Karmapa, such a continue in this role for the immediate future. precious moment to create and strengthen It has been an honour and a privilege to offer connections. We, of course, took this my time and energy both for Rinpoche and opportunity to invite HH Karmapa to visit the House in what has been an exceptional Marpa House on his next UK visit; his answer time. Of course, this wouldn’t have been was a clear ‘yes’! HH Karmapa was also asked possible without the amazing hard work and 2 how we can best continue Chime Rinpoche’s support of the other Trustees, Committee, legacy. His response was: Chime Rinpoche is a House Staff, and the many people who, often very smart old man, I think you can trust him working silently in the background, are all to show you the right way!! dedicated to Rinpoche and Marpa House. It really is something special to be a part of this It was wonderful to watch the warmth and big extended family. playfulness in their relationship, and extremely moving to later hear Rinpoche speak, at With Dharma wishes to you all. Aldershot, of the 16th and 17th Karmapas. “16th Karmapa is my teacher and now I met Louise Kuka (Acting Chair of the Trustees) 17th Karmapa, is only change in his body, his mind is exactly same. I was with him all week, incredible, I was so inspired, so inspired, just only changed the body, and not his mind.” This displays the very strong heart and mind connection within our lineage. How lucky we are! Rinpoche’s invitation to HH Sakya Trizin to bestow the Vajrakilaya Empowerment established yet another strong connection. It was a wonderfully auspicious occasion, one I know people will hold in their hearts and minds for a very long time. To simultaneously observe Rinpoche taking the empowerment, Committee News arrim, who Looking ahead...Firstly, a big welcome to Gail Kstepped down Oliver and Gabby Costello, who are joining as as Committee House staff after Summer School. Secondly, Chair at the end of our Shrine and Stupa projects will pick up January 2017, said speed very soon, and our calendar of events in the December for July through to December is already Newsletter: “I under way. So here we go! think that next year rather than May we all continue to practice and enjoy the 'turn the wheel of blessings of our wonderful Marpa House. dharma', it will be more spin at high P.S. If you would like more 'hands-on' speed.” He was not wrong! involvement, let us know: you can attend volunteer weekends, apply to join the Marpa House has been jumping with changes Committee, apply to join House staff, and/or and stupendous events. The women's offer to be on our list of support volunteers. bathrooms upstairs and Room 3 have been You are very welcome! rebuilt and refurbished; the Aga has had an Janet Scott (Chair of the Committee) internal makeover, producing a steady and reliable friend. Our precious Lama, wonderful sangha, and amazing visitors have given a 3 wealth of teaching, guidance, and inspiration to enliven us for a long time. (When you read the Newsletter contributions, you will see I am not exaggerating!). We have a strong community. We have a wonderful sangha: members, visitors, retreatants, the Marpa House staff, supporting volunteers, House Administrator, Trustees, and Committee, who fill the 'House' with purpose and riches. And our community extends out into the bigger world too: we benefit from local trades people, school and church contacts, taxis, neighbours, and so on, who extend to us their know-how and good will. On behalf of the Committee, 'Thank You' to everyone, and special thanks to Jamie (Jade) Pinto and John Prince, who have given us so much over this last year as House-keeper and House Secretary, but who are now moving on to new opportunities, and special thanks also to Lisa Smith, who is working at Marpa House until September. Thoughts on John Howard’s courses on the Four Foundations (February, March, April 2017) ohn Howard and I arrived at the same time John's was a very faithful presentation of Jat Marpa House. He, amidst a 21st century these precious texts: he led us through them tornado of dust, dressed in full black leather step by step, following them closely. In this attire, with a shining helmet like some extra methodical way, we were presented with terrestrial knight, on a gleaming new red and the purpose of the Foundations, which are black motorbike - admittedly his greatest ultimately to provide a practical method of attachment in life. When I hugged him and meditation, which has been tested by the said how much I was looking forward to his lineage, and which is to free us from suffering. course, he blushed. First, we were introduced to the general John Howard often blushes, as he is a preliminaries, which are necessary for the combination of shyness, humility and contemplation of the four thoughts that turn confidence. It is the kind of confidence that has been passed down to him over the years from his teachers- a confidence that comes not of himself, but from the teachings and the methods he has received from his lamas- and this was what he was offering to pass on and explain as faithfully as he could during these three weekends. I joined John a little later 4 in the tearoom and said: "John, I am afraid I have just backed into your motorbike!" John blushed again, this time a deeper red, but didn't bat an eyelid.